This invention relates to masks for eyes and more particularly to opaque eye shields similar to spectacles or sunglasses but designed to facilitate sleeping under conditions (as in airplanes, trains, and cars, for example) where the wearer""s environment may be illuminated.
The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. Des. 388,812 to Miehe, et al. appears exemplary of conventional styles of sleeping masks. Such masks typically include a fabric or cloth body to which one or more elastic bands are attached. In use, the body is positioned over the eyes of the wearer and generally held in place when the elastic bands are stretched about the wearer""s head. Additionally, because the body is wholly flexible, it conforms, more or less, to the contours of the face of the wearer in the region it covers.
Omission of a relatively rigid nose- or ear-piece of the mask of the Miehe patent, however, can result in slippage of the body of the mask in use. This slippage in turn may decrease the comfort of the wearer, potentially waking him or her from restful sleep. These flexible masks further lack any stylishness, resembling neither aesthetically-attractive spectacles nor sunglasses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,263 to Cook describes infant eye shields designed as alternatives to the traditional practice of taping gauze pads over infants"" eyes during hospital procedures. As with other conventional masks, the eye shields of the Cook patent are made of flexible cloth (or film) and omit any rigid nose- or ear-piece. Instead, the shields are adhered to the temples of infants using adhesive of selected peel and shear strengths, with such adhesive being utilized to maintain the shields in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,878 to Tarragano, incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, details yet another light shield, although for use primarily (but supposedly not exclusively) with hospitalized adults. It too xe2x80x9cis made entirely of soft, non-woven fabric sheeting,xe2x80x9d intentionally omitting any more rigid plastic or other material. Loops attached to the masking region of the shield engage the ears of a wearer to retain the shield in place. Although the Tarragano patent mentions (without explanation) xe2x80x9cultrasonically weldingxe2x80x9d the periphery of the shield and its loops, it nevertheless fails to suggest having any rigid masking region or nose- or ear-piece or structure resembling conventional spectacles or sunglasses.
The present invention, by contrast, provides more rigid masks or shields intended to block all (or substantially all) visible light from the eyes of the wearer. Such masks do not include elastic bands, adhesive, or loops to maintain them in position in use. Rather, relatively rigid nose- and ear-pieces are employed, in some respects similar to those of existing spectacles and sunglasses.
Additionally unlike conventional shields, the eye-covering regions of the innovative masks likewise are relatively rigid in comparison with cloths or fabrics. Thus, masks of the present invention may be made of one-piece construction, molded of plastic or other suitable material into a unitary body. If desired, frames of the masks may have some flexibility, much as many spectacle frames currently do, to permit at least some adjustment for enhanced conformance to features of the wearers"" heads.
It thus is an object of the present invention to provide eye masks lacking any need for elastic bands, adhesive, and loops to permit their retention in position.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide eye masks whose frames and contours can be similar to those of attractive or stylish spectacles or sunglasses.
It is another object of the present invention to provide eye masks having opaque material in place of lenses so as to block some or all visible light from penetrating the masks to the wearers"" eyes.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide eye masks having nose-pieces, ear-pieces, or both made of material other than flexible cloth or fabric.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide eye masks which may be molded of plastic material and which may be of one-piece construction.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide eye masks which facilitate sleeping in places, such as in cars, airplanes, and trains or outdoors, where ambient light may be present.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the remaining text and drawings of this application.